The Barnstable Town Council’s April 1 approval of a budget and federal grant clears the way for a new passenger terminal and air traffic control tower for Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis. It’s been a long time coming, but the sorely-needed improvements will be well worth the wait. If all the permitting, design and construction work goes according to schedule - as expected – Cape Cod will benefit from a new travel gateway and enhanced air traffic safety as soon as the middle of next year.

As a final step, we are working diligently with the Cape Cod Commission staff to ensure that the configuration of the new airport access and exit roads will fully meet the community’s needs for the immediate future.

Because all the improvements will be financed by federal and state grants, along with airport reserves and user fees, local taxpayers will not have to pay a penny for the new airport.

Writing for myself and my fellow airport commissioners, I want to thank the town councilors and Town Manager John Klimm and his staff for their support of our plans, and Airport Manager Bud Breault and his staff for their leadership and dedication. Also credit goes to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Hyannis Area Chamber and Cape Air for their helpful endorsements and finally, to the citizens of our immediate neighborhoods for their support.

In the coming weeks, we plan to go out to bid for the terminal and tower construction trade contracts - anticipating the jobs that will follow - and arrange a celebratory groundbreaking for Cape Cod’s 21st Century airport.

Daniel W. Santos, P.E.

Chairman

Barnstable Municipal Airport Commission

The state we’re in

The state of our town government will be glorified on Thursday, April 8.

As a very concerned citizen, I have run for town council, served on a council review committee, and was elected to the recent charter commission. I am still very disturbed that our new charter failed to pass. The true state of our town is not as rosy as our so-called leaders would have us believe.

One glaring waste of money is all the time and expense spent on terminal and airport expansion. Most of the traffic boarding planes are coming or going to Nantucket. No need to build a new terminal! Other issues of concern: wastewater issues, Cape Cod Commission, increased crime in Hyannis, etc.

Be well!

John Daniel Alden

Hyannis

No to price controls and rationing

If given the choice between elected officials who are unable to stop spending money we don’t have and those who know better, I’ll take the party of “know” any day. When all the members of the Republican delegation voted against Obamacare, they were well aware that the biggest entitlement Ponzi scheme in the history of the world known as Social Security would collect less than it pays out this year and is essentially bankrupt.

What I find frightening is the fact that despite living in a state where a government-run health care program has exceeded the projected budget by a factor of nearly ten, there are those who still want D.C. to take over. When the health care vote came up on Beacon Hill, it is unfortunate that more elected officials didn’t join Rep. Jeff Perry and say “no.” What is clear to Mr. Perry, who is a candidate for the 10th Congressional District, is that the health care needs of his constituents would be handled far more effectively by the private sector rather than some government agency.

Government regulation and forced coverage mandates are the leading reasons for high insurance rates here in Massachusetts and in many other areas around the country. Price controls and rationing are not the solution and fortunately Rep. Perry fully understands this concept.